A 37-year-old Exmouth man has gone on trial accused of beating up his former girlfriend with a stick.

Carl Rowsell climbed in through a window and confronted his ex in her flat after a drunken night out, Exeter Crown Court has been told.

When she refused to take him back he allegedly started shouting abuse and punching her.

The victim was so frightened by the early morning assault she ran into the street and alerted a man delivering bread to the baker.

Rowsell denies causing the woman actual bodily harm, saying he only went to the house to collect his belongings and she ‘went nuts’ at him.

The first day of the trial heard the alleged offence happened on May 20 last year.

“She was asleep on the sofa and the next thing she is aware of is being woken at 3am by the defendant standing over her in the sitting room,” said prosecutor Ms Emily Pitts.

She added: “He started off being nice and telling her he loved her but when she told him it wasn’t going to work and he should leave Carl Rowsell turned nasty.”

He started swearing and calling her names before picking up a stick and hitting her with it.

Ms Pitts said the victim tried to calm her attacker down but assaulted her again in the bathroom, then pushed her against a wall outside.

The woman called the defendant’s mother who came to the house and slapped him in the face, said the prosecutor.

The alleged victim suffered a cut to her eye and bruises on her arms.

Police arrived later and arrested Rowsell. He told them ‘she was being nasty and horrible’ and attacking him with a stick which must have accidently caused her injuries.

“In this case he let himself into her home,” said Ms Pitts. “He beat her with a stick. He caused her injuries. He struck her, hit her and abused her and the Crown say that he is guilty of this charge.”